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Antifungal versus antibacterial defence of insect wings

Authors :
Ivanova, EP
Linklater, DP
Aburto-Medina, A
Phuc, L
Baulin, VA
Huu, KDN
Curtain, R
Hanssen, E
Gervinskas, G
Ng, SH
Vi, KT
Luque, P
Ramm, G
Wosten, HAB
Crawford, RJ
Juodkazis, S
Maclaughlin, S
Ivanova, EP
Linklater, DP
Aburto-Medina, A
Phuc, L
Baulin, VA
Huu, KDN
Curtain, R
Hanssen, E
Gervinskas, G
Ng, SH
Vi, KT
Luque, P
Ramm, G
Wosten, HAB
Crawford, RJ
Juodkazis, S
Maclaughlin, S
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

HYPOTHESIS: The ability exhibited by insect wings to resist microbial infestation is a unique feature developed over 400 million years of evolution in response to lifestyle and environmental pressures. The self-cleaning and antimicrobial properties of insect wings may be attributed to the unique combination of nanoscale structures found on the wing surface. EXPERIMENTS: In this study, we characterised the wetting characteristics of superhydrophobic damselfly Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis wings. We revealed the details of air entrapment at the micro- and nano scales on damselfly wing surfaces using a combination of spectroscopic and electron microscopic techniques. Cryo-focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy was used to directly observe fungal spores and conidia that were unable to cross the air-liquid interface. By contrast, bacterial cells were able to cross the air-water interface to be ruptured upon attachment to the nanopillar surface. The robustness of the air entrapment, and thus the wing antifungal behaviour, was demonstrated after 1-week of water immersion. A newly developed wetting model confirmed the strict Cassie-Baxter wetting regime when damselfly wings are immersed in water. FINDINGS: We provide evidence that the surface nanopillar topography serves to resist both fungal and bacterial attachment via a dual action: repulsion of fungal conidia while simultaneously killing bacterial cells upon direct contact. These findings will play an important role in guiding the fabrication of biomimetic, anti-fouling surfaces that exhibit both bactericidal and anti-fungal properties.

Details

Database :
OAIster
Publication Type :
Electronic Resource
Accession number :
edsoai.on1340016510
Document Type :
Electronic Resource